2018 Silver Racquet Tennis Draws Report
Silver Racquet Invitational
This year’s Silver Racquet Invitational Tennis Singles featured a strong qualification draw which attracted entrants from clubs across the country, as well as from England and France. The first qualification spot was secured by Jeremy Wintersteen who beat up-and-coming Brits, Freddie Dixon and Mike Bailey en route. Brook Hazelton took the other spot in the main draw, beating Shep Skiff then Matt Mackin in two tightly contested matches.
The Invitational Tennis main draw featured the majority of the top-ranked amateurs in the country, with last year’s finalists Jon Crowell and Tom McGinnis as the top seeds. Main draw play began early on Friday morning with a hard-hitting bout between Guy Devereux and James Coyne. With an impressive display of targeted hitting, Coyne was able to edge through 6/5 6/5. Ben Stein came through his clash with Brook Hazelton despite the loss of the first set, whilst Zach Sacks showed too much consistency for Simon Shenkman. Jeremy Wintersteen produced the upset of the first round, beating last year’s semi-finalist Benjamin Jacquin in straight sets. Wintersteen was unable to continue his strong run, losing to 3rdseed Peter Cipriano later that day. Earlier in the evening, Ben Stein produced an upset, beating Will Thompson with an impressive display, losing just three games in the process. Jon Crowell and Tom McGinnis took the other semi-final spots with victories over Zachary Sacks and James Coyne respectively.
Crowell and Stein faced off in the first semi-final on Saturday afternoon. The match was an interesting contrast in styles, with Crowell’s controlled cut-game often stymied by Stein’s unpredictable movement. There were several swings in momentum, Crowell edging the first set 6/4, before Stein raced to a 3-game lead in the second. However, Crowell was able to close out a couple of key games on his way to a 6/4 second set win.
The second semi-final was an all R&T affair between #2 seed Tom McGinnis and #3 seed Peter Cipriano. Previous encounters between the two had been tightly fought and this match was no different. Cipriano took the first set 6/5, McGinnis the second 6/4. With a 4/0 lead in the decider it looked as if McGinnis was going to progress to set up a repeat of the 2017 Final. Cipriano never gave up hope and was able to bring the score to 5/5 before clinching a see-saw final game to advance to the final.
Cipriano went into the final as a slight outsider, though he would have taken great confidence from his comeback semi-final victory. Crowell was in good form and looking to become the first player to defend his Silver Racquet title since 2006. A packed gallery was treated to an exhibition of athleticism and shot-making from both players, with neither able to exert control over the scoring. With the first set poised at 4/4 Crowell was the player able to push on and close out the set. The second set was an incredibly high-quality affair with both players at the top of their games. The scoring followed a similar pattern to the first, with long deuce games being evenly shared. At the decisive stage of the set it was again Crowell who was able to push on and seal the victory 6/4 6/4
New York Open Handicap ‘A’
This year the Open ‘A’ Handicap division featured an expanded draw. Handicaps ranged from 3 through to 37, with many matches being played off of large, unforgiving handicaps. Young British player Tom Buckley made it through to the semis, closing out a tightly fought match with Peter Pell on the way. Elsewhere, Billy Connors had been making light work of his opposition in the opening rounds. The two met in the semi-finals where Connors was receiving a healthy handicap advantage. Despite Buckley’s best efforts the difference proved too much to overcome. The professional contingent didn’t make too many inroads into the draw, Adrian Kemp producing the best performance, making the semi-finals. Kemp played with discipline and control but was unable to overcome the shot making abilities of Nick Warner. Warner put Kemp under pressure with some aggressive hitting and moved through to the final with an 8/4 victory.
The Warner and Connors final was an entertaining affair with Connors pressuring his British opponent using a selection of topspin, exaggerated pace and jagged boasts. Nick held up but unbelievably well and himself displayed an elegance in retrieving he isn’t always credited for. Eventually, the handicap difference proved too difficult for Warner, with Connors taking home the silverware with an 8/3 win.
New York Open Handicap ‘B’
The ‘B’ division saw the tightest banding of handicaps, with the participants separated by no more than twelve points. The close banding produced tight results, with many close matches and very few one-sided scores. Early standout performances came from a pair of R&TC members coming back to the game after extended absences, Parker Brickley and Charles Buaron. Elsewhere, Tommy Shields scraped through his first two matches by the skin of his teeth, winning both 8/7. British rackets players, Henry Faber and Felix Clarke, were both bamboozling their opposition with some unorthodox but extremely effective shot-making.
The semi-finals saw Shields square off against Buaron in the early morning Sunday match. Both players had produced energetic dancefloor performances some hours earlier, but it was Shields who looked fresher and comfortably sealed his place in the finals.
The other semi-final pitched the impressive Henry Faber against Parker Brickley. The American has recently returned to playing right-handed after several shoulder problems but looked imperious form as he sealed his finals spot.
The final was a classic exhibition of handicap tennis. Shields nonchalant style made for entertaining viewing, with Brickley using his reach to dig out balls that were seemingly destined to beat him. Shields led, but was pulled back to 7-all, with the final game also going to 40-all. However, Shields was not to be denied, a trademark railroad and volley winner combo making him champion on the day.
New York Open Handicap ‘C’
The ‘C’ division is perhaps the most interesting Tennis events in the country. It has become a notable stepping stone for some of the most rapidly progressing players in the game. Inevitably most of those producing strong performances in this draw will continue on to further successes. More than half of the 32 entrants were new to the event, a wonderful metric of health for the community. Three of the four semi-finalists were part of a rapidly growing young New York based (and coached) contingent making waves. The other spot was taken by a young Brit, Louis Winstanley, who overcame home court advantage, gunning down three R&TC members in the process.
Ned Pierrepont played Sebastian Kreitz in an epic semi-final. Both showed exceptional promise and potential for growth, with Pierrepont just about progressing 8/6. The other semi-final saw a match up between two tough competitors: Will Winmill and Louis Winstanley. Winmill edged his way through a tight battle in his typically composed manner.
In the Final, Pierrepont and Winmill battled tightly and both displayed unusually developed skills. Winmill managed consistently excellent length, Pierrepont countering with strong volleying when given the opportunity. A vocal crowd enjoyed the high paced action, and were wowed by some fantastic moments of invention from both players. Winmill had a slight edge over his opponent and came out the winner 8/3.
Overall the Silver Racquet was once again a fantastic affair for all who competed and spectated. We look forward to another exciting event next year.
